ABS Building Approvals show that the number of dwellings approved rose 0.7 per cent in February 2014, in trend terms, and has risen for 26 months.

Dwelling approvals increased in trend terms in February in the Australian Capital Territory (7.9 per cent), Victoria (2.2 per cent), Western Australia (2.1 per cent), Tasmania (1.0 per cent) and South Australia (0.4 per cent) but decreased in trend terms in the Northern Territory (20.8 per cent), Queensland (1.2 per cent) and New South Wales (0.2 per cent).

Approvals for private sector houses in trend terms rose 1.9 per cent in February, rising for the fourteenth consecutive month. Private sector house approvals rose in trend terms in South Australia (3.0 per cent), Victoria (2.1 per cent), New South Wales (1.7 per cent), Western Australia (1.4 per cent) and Queensland (1.0 per cent).

The value of total building approved rose 0.2 per cent in February, in trend terms, and has risen for eight consecutive months. The value of residential building rose 0.2 per cent while non-residential building rose 0.3 per cent in trend terms.

Further information is available in Building Approvals, Australia (cat no. 8731.0) on the ABS website at www.abs.gov.au

Media Note: Please ensure when reporting on ABS data that you attribute the Australian Bureau of Statistics (or the ABS) as the source.